WHAT WE FUND
The Kai Ora Fund is a small community grants process to support innovative projects that address food security, increases community resilience and everything in between. The maximum funding available per project will be $5,000. Lesser amounts may be applied for.
Type of Projects
Community Maara Kai
We support the creation of gardens within the community to share kai. We support projects that aim to redistribute surplus of kai/resources and increase the availability of kai.
Education Workshops & Wānanga
We support projects that aim to share knowledge, customary techniques, skills such as hunting, diving, preserving, etc.
Business / Social Enterprise
We support projects that help to increase regional economic development and local employment, whilst aligning with our values and priorities.
Environmental Stewardship
We support projects which aim to protect and regenerate the whenua/awa to increase food stability.
Hunting and Gathering
We support projects that help to share knowledge, skills and elevate traditional practices of hunting, harvesting, fishing and gathering kai.
Innovative Projects
We support innovative projects that promote self-sufficiency, as well as deliver new creative solutions to addressing community challenges and food security.
Other
We support a wide range of projects that align with our values and priorities. Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss further.
WHO WE FUND
We fund groups who encourage one or more of our vision statements:
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Increased availability, promotion, or utilisation of local healthy food to increase health and wellbeing (oranga).
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Increased self-sufficiency and community resilience (rangatiratanga).
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The sharing of food and knowledge, including customary techniques (kaitiakitanga and mātauranga).
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Community cooperation and connection and benefits for the wider community (whanaungatanga).
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Increased regional economic development and local employment opportunities.
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Environmental sustainability and stewardship (kaitiakitanga).
We favour projects that are in line with our priorities:
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Whanaketanga: Engage multiple partners and strengthen cooperation and regional development.
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Promote Equity: Prioritise lower socio-economic communities (and in particular children), or people with food security and accessibility issues.
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Whakapapa: Strenghthen whānau, hapu, iwi and Māori communities.
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Sustainable: We will prioritise projects that show they can sustain their work and impact beyond the initial grant.
KEY DATES 2026
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Applications open 8th April 2026
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Applications close 17th May 2026
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Funding decision made 27th May 2026
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Workshop will be held in July 2026
